Preparation of pressed curd cheeses

Abstract

Pressed curd opened-body cheeses are prepared with lactic ferments including lactobacilli of the species Lactobacillus fermentum which are utilized for producing openings in the body of the cheeses. Small wheels of the cheeses may be prepared by, prior to ripening, coating the cheeses with a plastic film which is substantially impermeable to gases, alone or together with a coating layer of paraffin, or the small wheels may be prepared by ripening the cheeses in a chamber having a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure for preventing gas loss from the cheeses.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a process for preparing bodies of ripened pressed curd cheeses having openings in the bodies wherein pasteurized milk standardized in milk fats is seeded with lactic ferments and seeded with rennet for producing a serum and a curd which is cut into grains, wherein part of the serum is separated from the curd grains which are then washed, heated, placed in molds and pressed, and wherein pressed molded bodies of cheese are removed from the molds, salted and ripened, the improvement comprising seeding the milk with lactobacilli of the species Lactobacillus fermentum, before seeding with the rennet, in a quantity sufficient for producing openings in the pressed molded bodies of the cheese during ripening. 
     
     
       2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the Lactobacillus fermentum are strains selected from the group consisting of C.N.C.M. I-459, C.N.C.M. I-460 and C.N.C.M. I-461. 
     
     
       3. A process according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the milk is seeded with a quantity of from 5×10 4  to 1×10 7  Lactobacillus fermentum cells per ml milk. 
     
     
       4. A process according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising seeding the milk with propionibacteria in a quantity of from 1×10 4  to 5×10 5  cells per ml milk before renneting. 
     
     
       5. A process according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising culturing the Lactobacillus fermentum on a medium selected from the group consisting of MRS-BOUILLON and milk ultrafiltration permeate. 
     
     
       6. A process according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising coating the pressed molded bodies of the cheese with a plastic film which is substantially impermeable to gases for ripening the cheese. 
     
     
       7. A process according to claim 6 further comprising coating the pressed molded bodies of the cheese with a layer of paraffin and then coating the paraffin coated cheese with the plastic film for ripening the cheese. 
     
     
       8. A process according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising ripening the cheese in a chamber under a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure sufficient for preventing loss of gas from the bodies of the cheese during ripening. 
     
     
       9. A process according to claim 8 wherein the chamber contains a gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, air and air saturated with carbon dioxide.